The Lion King: Where Greatness Lies
by Chopper the Wicked
Summary: After the hyenas attacked, they thought he was dead... or was he? Scar's secret to survival is revealed in the first part of this epic tale that puts old enemies on the same side of the chess board and pits family and friends against one another!
1. Act 1: Worlds Collide

The

LION KING:

Where Greatness Lies

**ACT ONE : Worlds Collide**

**Chapter 1**

**Prelude to Disaster**

T he rain was finally beginning to stop, but the hyenas didn't let up at whatever it was they were doing. They appeared to be attacking something. However, they did stop to look up in terror at the sound of a band of lionesses roaring ferociously. Nala stood at the lead, and they chased off the hyenas at an efficient pace, sending them scampering off with their tails between their legs like shamed dogs. Then, she saw just what they'd been up to: Scar's lifeless body lay bloodied by claw and tooth marks. "Simba!" she cried. "I've found him!"

Moments later, Simba arrived, approaching his mate. He stared down at the body of his treacherous uncle. "Is he dead?"

"He can't be!" cried a voice from behind Simba.

A lioness by the name of Zira fought her way through the crowd of lionesses, a young male cub following at her heels. Zira approached the body. "Scar!" she cried, nudging him. "Speak to me! You can't die...!"

Simba growled at Zira. "Get out of here, traitor!" Nala hissed. "You supported him this whole time!"

"Mama," squeaked the cub, who was drenched in Scar's blood and perched on Scar's side just below his upper leg. "Mama, I can hear his heart. It's real slow, though."

Zira sighed with relief. "He's alive! Good work, Nuka. I knew he wasn't dead."

"He will be," Simba grunted. "Nala, have your lionesses take him to the southern border to die."

"Understood," Nala agreed.

"What?! You can't just leave him for dead! He might survive," Zira pleaded.

"I want this to be the last we ever see of this murderous scum," Simba said. "As for you and your lionesses, Zira, I want you out of the Pridelands."

"For what?!" Zira demanded, outraged at the idea.

"For being in cahoots with Scar! What do you think? Now, go. As the new king, I sentence you to exile, effective immediately!" Simba replied.

"You aren't king. You'll never be king! Scar is king! He isn't dead yet!" Zira shouted.

"Someone take her away," Simba ordered, turning away from her with Nala at his side, who was instructing some of her lionesses to move Scar to the outskirts of the Pridelands.

A pair of lionesses growled at Zira as they lead her away. Her little cub Nuka followed. "Simba, you are despicable! I'll never forgive you for this!" Zira screamed as she was forced away, watching the lionesses drag Scar off. "You be careful with him, you disrespectful wretches!"

But no one listened to her.

Three lionesses stood side-by-side. One held Scar on her back, and the other two made sure he stayed there. "Almost there," said one of the ones on the side.

"Good," grunted the middle lioness. "I don't know how much further I can carry this jerk. He's really heavy, despite how thin he is."

"It's all that dead weight," said the lioness on her other side. "Here we are. Set him down over there."

The two lionesses with nothing to carry now stood on the same side as the third, and nudged Scar's near-dead body off of her with their heads. "There," said the first. "Now let's get out of here. I can't stand to look at that schmuck anymore."

"I second that," said the the middle lioness.

And with that, they turned a blind eye to their fallen, neglegent king and returned home to their new, kind ruler. Scar lay beaten, unconcious, and dying, unable to do anything to save himself.

Chapter 2

Found

Roya, a gold-eyed lioness with a very fair-colored coat, bounded through the grass. Above her flew an orange-feathered female hornbill by the name of Gio, just above her reach. "You'll never be able to catch me without wings!" Gio laughed.

"Want to bet?" snickered Roya, who lept up and clawed at Gio, but was unable to reach the hornbill.

"Ha ha ha!" sang Gio, flying in a loop. "You've never been good at this game, Roya."

"Hey, Gio!" cried Roya, suddenly halting.

Gio stopped as well. "Hmm?"

Roya pointed her paw ahead. "Do you see that? Up ahead, there's something in the grass," she asked.

Gio was obviously at a better vantage point to see whatever Roya had spotted, so the looked off into the distance and saw a strange black-and-brown lump. "Yes, I see it, but... I can't make out what it is," Gio replied, then flew down beside the lioness.

Roya stared off into the distance at it for a moment. She wrinkled her nose in contemplation, then said, "Let's go check it out."

Gio flew ahead as Roya dashed over to the mysterious object. "Roya!" Gio called back, Roya being a few yards behind. "It's a body. A lion's body."

Roya came up. "Ew, is it dead?"

Gio shrugged. Roya began sniffing the strange lion carefully. "It doesn't smell like decay. Maybe he's alive. His wounds are bad."

"He seems to have been attacked by other carnivores, and very ruthlessly at that," Gio noted perceptively. "What should we do?"

Roya thought for a moment, then gently nudged a place on the wounded lion that was unscathed so as not to hurt him. "Hey," she whispered.

An eye opened ever so slightly, followed by a low, groggy-sounding noise that was barely audible. Roya smiled. "Hey, you're alive after all. Listen, we're gonna help you, okay?" she purred.

The lion's eye closed once more. "Gio, can you go get help? Gonjwa would be preferable, but anyone strong enough to carry him is fine."

"At once!" Gio shouted, flying off.

Moments later, Gio returned with a strong-bodied male lion of a deep tan color with a dark chestnut mane. This was Roya's younger brother, and one of the strongest members of her pride. "Gonjwa, there's an injured lion---" Roya started.

"I know," Gonjwa interrupted. "Gio told me everything on the way here. I think we should get him to the waterhole first to get him cleaned up, then take him back to Great Peak to heal."

"That's probably best," Roya agreed, helping Gonjwa get the injured lion on his back.

"You know, Roya, he's about your age, possibly a little older," Gonjwa observed, looking at the visitor. "Maybe we've finally found you a mate."

"Yeah, right," Roya growled sarcastically.

Gonjwa laughed tiredly, getting to his feet and heading off towards the waterhole. "Roya, why don't you come with me in case I need help? Gio, you should probably go back and tell Mom and Pop about our guest," he suggested.

Both agreed, and all three went to their tasks.

Chapter 3

All But Dead

Scar felt a rush of new pain wash over his body as he came around. Everything ached or stung. His emerald eyes slowly opened. The world around him was a blur, but the shapes he made out were lions. He figured it didn't matter much. Scar had already resigned himself to death, so if he was alive, it'd all disappear soon anyway. He just hoped that they were friendly, because he was not in the mood for any more pain. Scar closed his eyes again and sighed forlornly. "Hey, I think he's coming to," mused a voice.

"Seems like it. About time, too," agreed another, then speaking to him, continued; "Hey, you. Are you awake?"

"Don't make him try to talk, dimwit! He's probably still too weak," snapped the first voice. "Mom, Pop, I think he's awake!"

Scar wasn't sure what to make of these voices, but they didn't seem hostile, so he simply sighed again. He was too tired to investigate. "Hey, at least open your eyes again!" said a feminine voice that seemed to come from right beside his face.

Scar reopened his eyes to find that he'd been correct. The voice's source held her face right next to him. He cocked an eyebrow and scooted his head away from her. "Get out of his face, moron!" scolded the other voice, belonging to a lion who promptly pushed her away. "Sorry. My sister's nuts."

"Am not," she grumbled defensively.

"Honestly," scolded a third voice, "this poor fellow just had a near-death experience, and he has to return to concious and hear you two bickering like cubs first thing. How inconsiderate."

Scar's gaze surfed his surroundings until he located the lion who owned the third voice, who entered followed by another lioness. The lion was the darkest in color of the group and not much lighter a brown than Scar himself with an unusual light-colored mane. He was of a very bulky, muscular build. The lioness was almost albino and was somewhat lanky, unlike the petite younger one with a peachy sort of color to her. The whitish lioness came over to him. "There isn't much substance to him. He looks half-starved," she whispered to the dark-colored, husky lion, obviously her mate.

"He probably is," he muttered back. "There's no telling what he went through, coming to us in such a state."

"Mom! Pop!" hissed the peach-furred lioness. "You shouldn't talk under your breath like that. It's like you're saying bad things about him!" Then, she turned to Scar. "Good morning! Glad to see you up. I'm Roya. If you can speak, how do you feel?"

Scar found speaking difficult, but he managed to croak out the word, "Blegh..."

Roya laughed. "Well, that's better than dead, I suppose," she sighed. "Well, anyway, this is my brother, Gonjwa." She gestured to the younger lion. "He and I saved you. The other two are our parents, Ahku and Aioshei. You've been here for two days."

"Stupid. He probably doesn't know where 'here' is," Gonjwa snorted. "We're on Great Peak."

Great Peak? Scar had never heard of it. Was it in the Pridelands? Who in the Pridelands would harbor him? Well, no one in their right mind, that was for sure. These lions had to be either crazy or intensely uninformed. He figured he could be in some backwater area that didn't really have anything to do with the rest of the Pridelands. But how did he even get there? It was all a blank to him, but it didn't matter. Scar was alive. He'd appreciate it now and ask questions later. He couldn't even form words yet, anyway.

"Anyway," Aioshei continued, "at our childrens' request, you're welcome to stay here until you're back at full speed."

"Then, Gonjwa will be happy to escort you to wherever you call home," Ahku added.

"No," Scar growled.

"Huh? 'No' what?" Aioshei asked.

Scar tried to explain, but could only shake his head as if to say, "I'll tell you later."

They seemed to understand. "You know," Roya mused, "you'd probably gain back some of your strength if you ate something. Are ya hungry?"

For the next few days, these bizarrely neighborly lions did everything in their power to help him. Scar didn't understand why, but he took advantage of it. His wounds healed pretty well, and eventually, most of the pain had stopped, and he was able to speak again. As soon as he could talk in full sentences again, he was instantly racked with questions by Gonjwa and Roya.

"What's your name?"

"Where did you come from?"

"How'd you get all beaten up like that?"

"Where'd you get that scar on your eye from?"

"You two! He's the one who was brought here with no explaination. Let him ask a few questions first!" Ahku reprimanded them, then turned to Scar. "Go ahead."

"Where am I?" Scar asked.

"Great Peak," Gonjwa answered. "It's the best place in all of the Greatlands."

"Greatlands? Don't you mean the Pridelands?" Scar corrected him.

His hosts looked baffled. "Pridelands? What are the Pridelands?" Roya asked.

"Beats me," Ahku said. "Gio ought to know, though. Gio!"

An orange she-bird fluttered in. She was a hornbill, like Zazu, Scar noticed. "Yes?" she asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Pridelands?" Roya asked.

Gio nodded promptly. "I have a good friend from there. The Pridelands are home to another lion pride and are located northeast of here. We found our visitor over there on that particular border. The Pridelands, according to a friend of mine, have been experiencing drought, famine, and governmental dispute as of late. I haven't checked in with him for a while, but that's what I heard last," she explained.

With Gio's lack of detail, Scar quickly formulated a nice spin on his backstory, which he was assured that his hosts would ask of soon. He creatively made up a tale that worked with Gio's information without conflicting his best interests or making him look bad.

"Well," Aioshei continued, "that sounds horrible. We can assure you that the Greatlands are in much better conditions."

"So... I know your names, but who are you all?" Scar asked. "Just... hunters, or...?"

"Ahku and I are king and queen of the Greatlands," Aioshei replied. "Roya is the Crown Princess, and Gonjwa is her brother and the future Captain of the Hunt."

"What about you?" Roya asked eagerly.

"I am called Scar, and I come from the Pridelands. I was their king," Scar said, going over his fake story in his head rapidly. "My nephew and his supporters rebelled against me for no reason. They over threw me and ran me out. My nephew himself was the one who gave me these wounds, and then they dragged me out and left me for dead. Who knows what they've done with my lionesses..."

"That's horrible!" Roya cried.

"Yeah, what was their problem?" Gonjwa growled in agreement.

"You know, I'd caught word of a 'mad king' having been in the Pridelands recently," Gio added.

"Yes, that would be Simba, I'm sure," Scar lied, knowing full well that "mad king" referred to himself.

"Ridiculous," Ahku grunted. "Some lions these days have no respect for their kings. Royal families having silly disputes over power... Feh! Can't they just accept the succession process?"

Scar cringed slightly at Ahku's rant, as it applied to him, but no one appeared to notice. "So where did you get that scar over your left eye?" Gonjwa asked, seeming to be interested in scar-stories.

"Oh, that was so long ago, I barely rememeber..." Scar lied, trying to think up a good story to replace the embarassing tale behind that scar of having been in a scrap with some buffalo in an elaborate attempt to make his brother, Mufasa, look bad in front of the kingdom. "Oh, yes, I remember. I got it in a stampede of wildebeest. I was trying to save my brother, but a wildebeest horn cut my eye and made me slip, so he was killed. I still hate myself for that..."

"Oh, how tragic," Aioshei murmered.

"Yes... " Scar sighed, faking depression. "My brother, Mufasa, was a great lion. But that son of his, Simba, went mad and blamed me for his death."

"That's such a sad story!" Roya exclaimed.

"Oh, you are such a sap. You've always been a sucker for a sob story, Roya," Gonjwa taunted her.

"Hmph!" Roya snorted, pouting.

"Now, Scar... he's really heroic! He faced a herd of stampeding wildebeest in order to save his brother! And even though he failed and got hurt in the process, I still think it was pretty courageous,"  
Gonjwa praised, impressed.

Scar overlooked the twinge of guilt he felt for lying to the lions who'd done so much for him, and shamelessly embraced the pride of making himself look like the hero and making Simba look like a crazed, envious villain. He was rather impressed with himself, as well. However, his train of thought was broken when he caught Roya staring at him with those big golden eyes. "Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"Huh?" Roya replied dumbly. "Oh! Nothing. Just thinking. Hey, can you walk?"

Scar didn't know the answer to that, so he tried standing. He teetered at first, but caught his balance. Scar's hind left leg throbbed, but he ignored it and made a few laps. "As a matter of fact, I can. Why do you ask?"

Roya smiled. "I was hoping I could give you a tour of the Greatlands. You up for it?" she offered.

Scar thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I suppose so," he replied, and followed her as she left the den of Great Peak.

Scar blinked as the sunlight hit his face, letting his eyes adjust to the brightness. Then, his surroundings came into view. It was a vast, grassy savannah with a huge, blue waterhole in the distance. Scar was stunned. It was amazing. He looked around at Great Peak. It appeared to be the equivalent of Pride Rock, but with a slightly different shape. It was curved in an upward helix with the den on the inward side of the curve. "Well?" Roya laughed. "What do you think?"

"It's... lovely," Scar remarked, noticing how long it had been since he'd used that word.

"Lovely?" Roya snickered. "Are you always this creative with words?"

"You have no idea," Scar muttered.

"Oh?" Roya purred. "Well, let's go on that tour, shall we?"

Roya and Scar's tour led them to all ends of the Greatlands. The river that flowed through the Pridelands went through here, also. It flowed a little slower, and at one point, it branched out into two, then formed back together, forming an island. Roya took a moment to point it out. "See that?" she asked. "I like to swim out there to think. There are all sorts of unusual plants on that island, and it's a good place to be by yourself. Or with others."

"It sounds pleasant..." Scar mused.

"Maybe you and I can go over there in a few days. I don't think you should swim just yet, though," Roya suggested.

"I'd be honored," Scar replied with a frosty smile.

"Wonderful!" Roya remarked. "Moving on."

The land was lush and beautiful, and all the other types of animals seemed to have great respect for Roya. There was a very wide variety of other animals, including other carnivorous animals such as cheetahs. "Roya," Scar started.

"Yes?"

"There aren't any... hyenas... in the Greatlands, are there?"

"Heavens, no! Why?"

"I just don't like them."

"Those things give me the creeps," Roya admitted, shuddering. "They're usually just punks and miscreants, but I don't like the way they behave or look. And that smell! Atrocious."

"I could not agree more," Scar sighed, relieved that the Greatlands weren't harboring the hyenas who he'd betrayed.

Then, the pair hit the northwest border. Roya sat down and stared off in that direction. "So, your homeland is that way?" she asked pensively.

"Indeed," Scar replied distastefully.

"Oh, by the way," Roya remembered, "a few days ago, we told you that when you were healed, Gonjwa would escort you back home, and you said 'no'. Do you remember?"  
Scar nodded. "I don't ever want to go back there," he sighed.

"Not even to reclaim your kingdom?" Roya offered.

"Never," Scar growled. "They don't deserve me as king. They don't appreciate me there."

There was a moment of silence between them, but Roya broke it.

"I appreciate you."

Scar shot her a baffled glance. "What?"

Roya looked away sheepishly, embarassed. "I think you're a good guy," she reitterated softly. "You... you could stay here, you know."

Another moment of silence passed. A sly grin cracked across Scar's face. "If you insist," he replied.

"Really?!" Roya asked excitedly, then caught herself and calmed down with a bashful smile. "I mean, you'll really stay?"

Scar nodded. "I like it here," he purred, putting his nose just inches from Roya's face and savoring the shocked, mesmerized look on her face.

"Sc-Scar, I..." she stuttered.

"Hey, Rooooooooooooyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" shouted a familiar voice, and Gonjwa bounded up, nearly running into the pair. "Hi, guys!"

"GONJWA!" Roya screamed, embarassed.

"Yes?" Gonjwa asked calmly.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Roya through a clenched jaw.

"Mom and Pop think you guys should come back to Great Peak. You've been out long enough," Gonjwa answered matter-of-factly. "So, let's go!"

Scar snickered and stood. He glanced back at Roya. "Coming?"

Roya bit her lip gently and followed along in a huff. Scar snickered again. "What is so funny?!" she demanded of him.

"You, of course. You're amusing when you're embarassed," Scar replied.

"I am not embarassed!" Roya shot back defensively.

"Don't try to fool me. It's written all over your face," Scar disagreed snidely.

"Shut up! Is not! Am not!" Roya retorted, making it worse.

Scar just laughed under his breath and let Roya grumble under hers about how wrong he was and how stupid males were. When they reached Great Peak, Ahku recommended that everyone get some rest almost immediately. "Papa!" Roya argued. "I'm a grown lioness now! I should be able to make my own decisions!"

"I agree, Ahku. It's been a trying day," Scar concurred with a tired sigh.

"Good idea," Roya added. "Let's get some rest."

Gonjwa eyed his sister suspiciously. "What?" she snapped.

"I see what's going on here," Gonjwa said, then sang; "Roya loves Scaar, Roya loves Scaar!"

"Shut up, you little dung beetle!" Roya hissed, pouncing on top of her brother.

Aioshei laughed. "Don't mind them," she assured Scar. "Roya has a cub-face and acts childish, but she's really not that much younger than you are. Well, judging by appearances."

"She's very energetic," Scar remarked.

"Well, she has to be, with Gonjwa for a brother," Aioshei joked.

Scar laughed. "I'd have to agree," he said.

So, after calming the siblings down, the royal family and their guest went to sleep.

Chapter 4

The Mating Game

Scar yawned, nudged up Great Peak by Roya. She'd woken him while it was still dark and now insisted that he go to the top of the peak. "What are we going up here for, anyway...?" he asked tiredly.

"You'll see," Roya teased. "Now, hurry! Get your rear into gear!"

"Oh, shut up. I'm going," Scar growled.

When they reached the top, Roya sat at the ledge and gestured for Scar to sit beside her. "We came all the way up here before dawn for _this_?!" Scar grumbled to himself, but reluctantly joined her.

Silence hovered over the pair as they gazed out on the horizon. "So," Roya started softly, "how long has it been?"

"Since what?"

"Since we met, numbskull. What else?"

"Oh, that. About three weeks."

"Time flies. It feels like yesterday I was giving you a tour of this place."

"Mmm."

"Scar, how do you feel...?"

"Never better."

"I wasn't... I wasn't finished."

"Then finish."

"How do you feel... about me?"

"About you?"

"No, moron. About Gonjwa. Yes, me."

"Well... I'm not sure how to word it."

"I know how to word how I feel about you."

"Really? Do tell."

"Wait."

"For what?"

"For the right moment."

"Oh, for crying out loud..."

"There! That's it."

As Roya said that, the tip of the sun crested the horizon, sending rays of orange light scattering across the land. As sunlight shone like the lights of heaven on their faces, Roya said, "Perfect..."

With that, she leaned in close to Scar and let her rough, cat-like tongue graze the side of his face. Then, she brought her maw to his ear and quietly whispered, "Scar, I want you to be my king."

Scar drew away, shocked. "What?!"

"Soon, my parents will step down from the throne and I will succeed them as queen of the Greatlands," Roya explained. "I want to know that I have someone beside me I can trust. You were already a king once, and that was taken from you. Here's your chance to have that back. I need to have a king that I know can take care of me. Take care of my kingdom."

Scar stared at her in astonishment. "You're... serious about this?"

Roya glared at him wryly. "Does this look like the face of someone who's kidding?" she asked.

Scar smiled gently. The pangs of guilt for his lies returned for a moment, but it melted away as he realized that being Roya's ideal mate and king would both benefit him and make things right without her ever finding out that he lied about his past. "If you insist."


	2. Act 2: Feral Family Feud

Where Greatness Lies

Act 2: Feral Family Feud

Chapter 5

King Once More

It was a day of celebration in the Greatlands. Gonjwa and his mate, Harrah, were to present their lovely daughter to the kingdom, and all of the Greatlands were in an uproar of joy.

Roya, now queen of the Greatlands, happily pranced over to her younger brother and his bride, the latter of which held a tiny cub in her gentle paws. Scar followed shortly after at a slower, more dignified pace with his mischievous daughter weaving in and out between his legs as he walked. The she-cub scampering around her father's ankles was brown in color with emerald eyes, and went by the name of Baya. She darted over to Harrah and put her face as close to the newborn's own as possible. "She's so little!" Baya remarked.

Scar put a massive paw on Baya's head and pushed her away from the baby. Baya scowled at her father, but Scar's returning glare was far harsher, so the cub grinned sheepishly and backed off. "She's no bigger than you were when you were born, Baya," Roya laughed, chuckling at the pair's antics.

Harrah grinned proudly. "Isn't she precious?" she whispered.

"Yeah..." Gonjwa sighed happily, beaming down over Harrah's shoulder at his offspring.

"I'm just glad it's not a boy. Bad experience with nephews, you know," Scar snickered.

"My!" Gio cried, fluttering in and landing on Scar's head. "Just look at her! Our future Captain of the Hunt..."

"You have until the count of three to get off of me before I eat you," Scar growled.

Gio flapped her wings and lept to the ground beside Scar. "Moody as always, aren't you, sire?" the bird laughed.

"Indeed," Scar snorted.

"Honey, mind your daughter," Roya said, gesturing to Baya, who was once again wandering off.

"Before noon, she's _your_ daughter," Scar yawned lazily.

Roya shot him a scolding look, and Scar rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright," he grumbled, and used his paw to scoop the impish little cub toward him. "Stay put, will you?"

"Okay," Baya sighed, dismayed, then trotted back over to the cub. "So this is my cousin, huh? What's her name?"

Gonjwa grinned bashfully. "We, um... haven't decided yet," he admitted.

"Actually, we would be honored if our king would name her," Harrah added, looking to Scar.

"You're gonna name the baby, Papa?" Baya asked eagerly.

"No, it's really not my place..." Scar said reluctantly.

"Oh, please? We can't think of a good name," Harrah implored.

"Well..." Scar muttered.

"Come on, Scar," Gonjwa urged. "At least make a suggestion."

Scar sighed and stared at the newborn. The cub resembled Aioshei -- pale-faced and thin, but with a patch of brown on her head shaped like a four-point star, and quite thin. However, the child's eyes were unusual. The right eye was blue, like Harrah's eyes, while the left was green. For some reason, the left eye being green felt significant to Scar. "Taka," he finally offered.

Gonjwa and his mate looked from the cub, to each other, to Scar. "I like it!" Gonjwa stated.

"I do, too," Harrah agreed.

"How 'bout we call her cream-face?" Baya put in. "Y'know, since she's all white and stuff."

Gonjwa laughed heartily. "How about Taka?" he snickered.

"Boring!" Baya cried.

"Baya, dear, don't be rude," Roya scolded playfully. "One day, I'm sure you two will be the best of friends, so be nice."

"Best friends, huh?" Baya mused.

Chapter 6

The Duty Left Undone

Baya, now a teen, lounged at the edge of Great Peak, her petite brown paws dangling from the side as she stared into the distance at nothing. A young cub suddenly raced up the peak at a flying pace. The she-cub was a creamy white color with a four-point star-shaped blotch of chestnut just above the summit of her snout and mismatched eyes. She leapt happily on top of Baya. "Hi!" the little one shouted.

"Taka!" Baya hissed, exasperated. "Get off!"

Taka giggled and rolled from her cousin's back to the ground. "Whatcha doin'?" Taka asked.

"Nothing of your concern, cream-face," Baya growled. "What do you want?"

Taka shook her head. "Not what I want," she said. "What your dad wants. He sent me to get you, and boy, was he fuming!"

"Good grief," Baya groaned, rolling her eyes. "What does that old fart want _now_?"

"Dunno, but you'd better hurry before he gets even madder and decides to bite your head off," Taka teased.

"Oh, _please_," Baya moaned irritably, standing. "Well, I might as well see what that old fool has to say."

And with that, she proceeded down to the den, slinking off in her normal, snake-like manner of movement, followed by Taka trotting a pace behind. Baya entered the den as Taka bounded off towards her own father, who was returning from his hunt. "Papa," Baya called to Scar, who was within one of the deeper tunnels of the den.

Scar emerged in the disposition Taka had previously described; he was fuming, "I am lenient to you, Baya," he began. "As training for being queen of these lands, I give you one duty a day. I don't think that would merit as expecting too much of you, seeing as these tasks are small and you should be old enough to handle what I give you, yet somehow, you managed to shirk from your duty again. What did I ask you to do yesterday?"

"Er..." Baya mused, stumped.

Scar sighed irritably. "You were supposed to relocate the western border zebra herds to the central Greatlands so that Harrah could move the northern herd to that spot to avoid having the grasslands on the northern border be eaten to the point of no repair," Scar reminded her. "Well, Harrah did her job, but since you neglected to do yours, the two herds got into a heated argument over territory, which turned into a huge riot."

"Oops," Baya muttered, embarrassed by her blunder.

"Oops indeed," Scar growled. "We're lucky that your mother, Gonjwa, Harrah and I were able to separate them before any severe injuries or fatalities came about. What were you thinking, child?! You must've known that would happen."

"I... forgot," Baya lied, when in actuality, she just didn't feel like it.

"I'm sure you did," Scar scoffed, not believing her. "Well, despite her age, your little cousin Taka was able to relocate that herd after the riot was brought to an end. All she did was tell them that she knew of a much better place for them to live that would make the other herd jealous, then show them the way. So not only did a cub do _your_ job, but she did it_ better_ than any of us ever had. You should be ashamed."

"I'm sorry, Papa. I promise it won't happen again," Baya assured him.

"No, it won't," Scar agreed grumpily. "Now, to compensate for yesterday's stupid mistake, today, you will have two duties that you will take care of simultaneously."

"What?!" Baya demanded, outraged. "That's not fair!"

"I've been more than fair to you, young lady!" Scar boomed, then regained his composure and continued. "Gonjwa and I have some business to attend to, and Harrah's doing her normal job, which leaves Taka out of a guardian. Your first line of work will be to keep an eye on her. Secondly, Gio told me this morning that last night, the giraffes on the eastern border have been claiming to see hyenas at the border's edge. None have been verified as of yet, but as a precaution, I'm sending you down there to investigate. Take Taka with you."

Baya opened her mouth to protest, but sighed and said, "Yes, Papa..."

Scar and Baya went outside of the den, where Gonjwa and Taka were. Scar went with Gonjwa towards the south, leaving Taka with Baya. "So, my dad tells me we're gonna go looking for hyenas today."

"There's no way that's going to happen," Baya growled. "Come on, you little brat. We're going to River Island."

"Huh?" Taka asked, dumbfounded. "But what about the hyenas?"

"There are no hyenas. Those giraffes are just paranoid. It's a false alarm," Baya assured her.

"But what if it's not a false alarm and there really are hyenas? What are you gonna do?" Taka urged.

"That's a different story. There are no hyenas, so there's nothing to worry about. My father needs to get his priorities straight with this kingdom and concentrate on more important things that a stupid hyena report," Baya scoffed, hopping the river onto the island that it had formed.

"I think it's important that everyone feels safe, even if it means doing a small, seemingly pointless thing like investigating a false hyena alert," Taka argued, following.

"Then why don't _you_ go check it out?" Baya snorted.

"Are you nuts?! I'd get in huge trouble for going unsupervised!" Taka exclaimed.

"Then quit complaining!" Baya told her. "Now, you stay over here on this side of the island. I'm going to the other side. And don't bother me unless it's an emergency! You got that, you little flea?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Taka sighed. "Lazy bum."

"Sniveling brat," Baya shot back, and turned away to her solitude on the other side of the island.

Chapter 7

Change of Plans

It was a few hours later when Scar's voice boomed across the Greatlands. "BAYA!" he roared.

Several moments later, Baya appeared at Great Peak, Taka following close behind. "I'm back," Baya announced.

Scar looked furious. "I got six reports from Gio today on the status of the hyena sighting investigation, and each time, she said that the giraffes had seen no sign of you," he growled. "Where have you been?!"

"Off looking after Taka," Baya told him. "I thought that it was probably a false alarm, and you should get your priorities straight."

"I _do_ have my priorities straight!" Scar snapped. "Why do you think I sent you instead of going myself?!"

"It's still not important!" Baya hissed back.

"Wouldn't you like to know how 'unimportant' this was?!" Scar shouted. "Gio also reported there being four other sightings today, two of which were verified!"

Baya hesitated. "Oops," she mumbled.

"Told you it wasn't a false alarm," Taka sneered.

"Shut up!" Baya snorted.

"Don't tell her to shut up, fool! You were irresponsible, and Taka was right," Scar reprimanded, then turned to Taka. "I had a talk with your father and the queen, and we all think it's best if you become heiress to the Greatlands in Baya's stead, seeing as you are much more responsible and trustworthy, even in your youth. Only if Baya earns back her right to rule will you become your father's heir once more."

"Really?" Taka asked eagerly.

Scar nodded. "That's not fair! She's not even in the succession line!" Baya argued.

"Silence!" Scar roared. "You will do as I say! You can earn it back when you start acting like a responsible queen. Now go and do the duty I told you to do this morning!"

Baya growled fiercely, but turned away in a huff and said nothing else. She stormed off towards the eastern border, where the herd of frightened giraffes awaited her. "Oh, princess! It's so good to finally see you," one of them cried, relieved. "We saw them over by that rock."

Baya went to her duty in enraged silence.

Meanwhile, behind the aforementioned rock, three familiar faces lay in wait. "It's getting dark," Banzai remarked. "Can we keep moving now?"

"No!" Shenzi whispered. "We have to time everything perfect if we want to find Scar and have our revenge."

"Mommy," cooed a little voice.

Hidden off behind a smaller rock nearby were three hyena pups. They were named Mordecai, Prima, and Slice. "Mommy," Mordecai called again, "can we come over with you now?"

"Sure," Shenzi answered. "But be careful, and stay close to Uncle Ed."

The pups scampered over quietly and perched themselves on the back of Ed, who was laying down. Slice climbed up onto Ed's head. "Hey, Dad! Check me out! I'm king of the mountain!" the pup announced.

"That's great, Slice," Banzai said, "but you gotta be quiet, or they'll hear ya."

"Sorry," Slice whispered.

Prima peered cautiously over the rock. "Hey, there's a lioness out there!" she whispered.

"A lioness?!" Banzai growled. "Aw, man..."

"No worries. She's just a teen. You, me, and Ed can handle her with no problem," Shenzi coaxed him, sizing up their unwanted visitor from a distance. "Kids, Uncle Ed is gonna have to fight that lioness with us, so you guys just stay back here, okay?"

The pups slid off of Ed and agreed with their mother, huddling out of sight towards the back end of the stone. Ed stood, laughing his signature cackle under his breath.

Baya skulked off toward the rock to investigate. "Unbelievable," she muttered to herself. "First, he takes away my authority to become queen, and now he's sending me on a wild goose chase."

As she rounded the side of the rock, Banzai came into view. At first, she was surprised, but she realized that it was just one. She could handle a single hyena, right? But as he advanced on her, two others came into her line of vision. Three hyenas in their prime could take her out in minutes. This was far out of her league. She slowly backed away from them, and then bolted, and the trio followed after her, hot on her trail. Baya raced towards the northeastern border at full speed, but Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, gained on her, cackling menacingly. It wasn't long before they reached her.

The trio of hyenas attacked Baya, beating her senseless. It wasn't long before she was covered in wounds and bruises. She could barely see due to the blood in her left eye and the closing darkness, but she fought her way free and bounded away. The hyenas once again gave chase, but halted as she crossed the northeastern border. Too wounded to even comprehend how strange it was, Baya kept going.

"Over this border is the Pridelands, and there's no way I'm goin' in there," Banzai growled.

"Same here," Shenzi agreed. "C'mon, boys, let's go back and get the kids. We'll find someplace to hide in the Greatlands until the kids can fight with us, then we'll take down Scar for good."

"Yeah!" Banzai whooped. "He won't get away alive this time."

Meanwhile, Baya dragged herself further and further from the Greatlands into who knows where. She was so dizzy that her mind couldn't focus. She pressed on until she could no longer move, and then fell into the tall grass. Everything went black, but parts of her wits were still about her. After a few moments, she heard muffled voices, and felt a tiny paw prod her side intently, but then, all consciousness faded. Baya passed out.


	3. Act 3: The Lost Princess

Where Greatness Lies

Act 3

The Lost Princess

Chapter 8: A New Name

"Hurry, Pumbaa, I'm starvin'!" Timon whined from the back of the warthog to which he was speaking.

Pumbaa, however, didn't listen to his meerkat buddy. In fact, he slowed down. Pumbaa was distracted by something that he saw. To confirm having seen said object, as well as further investigate its origins, the warthog veered off course towards the strange figure in the grass. "Hey!" Timon shouted. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"There's a big brown and red thing in the tall grass over there," Pumbaa explained. "I wanna see what it is."

"Who _cares_? Let's go get food!" Timon griped, but Pumbaa yet again ignored him.

Pumbaa trotted over to the object to find that it was a wounded lioness. "Whoa," Pumbaa said, awed. "Whaddaya think happened to her?"

"Dunno," Timon mused, prodding her side in search of a heartbeat. "I'm pretty sure she's still alive... Let's bring her to Simba. Maybe he can help."

"Good idea!" Pumbaa agreed whimsically as he gently picked up the bulk of the lioness's torso on his wide snout. "If anyone can help her, it's Simba."

Timon sat atop Pumbaa's head, monitoring the lioness, while Pumbaa trotted off toward Pride Rock.

The pair was greeted by Kiara and her cub, Kutcha. "Who is that?" Kiara asked.

"We dunno," Pumbaa replied, "but she's hurt, and we think your dad can help."

Kiara nodded. "I'll go find him," she agreed. "Stay here, Kutcha."

"Okay, Mom," Kutcha complied, then set himself to the task of looking over the new visitor. "Look at all these cuts! Especially this big one!"

Timon slid off of Pumbaa and stood beside the cub, "Ooooh," he groaned empathetically, looking at the gash. "That oughta leave a nasty scar over her eye."

"Like Pop's?" Kutcha offered, noticing that it was on the same eye.

"Nah, bigger," Timon said thoughtfully. "Check it out. It goes all the way from the top of her head down to her jawbone."

"Timon! Pumbaa! Kutcha!" called a familiar voice.

Kiara had returned with Simba and Kovu. "Hi, Mom!" Kutcha cried. "Hi, Pop and Grampa."

"Kiara explained everything on the way," Simba told his friends. "What's the damage?"

"Well, she's bleeding all over, and she's completely out cold," Timon reported.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Kutcha teased.

Kovu and Simba gave the lioness a quick look-over. "There are a lot of cuts, but none are especially deep other than the one over her eye," Kovu explained. "She'll recover."

"I agree," Simba concurred. "Let's get her inside."

The group brought her into the den of Pride Rock. Rafiki the mandrill came by to clean her up, but said something about her "giving off bad vibes" and left promptly. She woke shortly after. "Hi!" Kutcha greeted her.

"How are you feeling?" Nala asked.

The lioness blinked groggily. "Okay, I guess," she muttered. "Where am I...?"

"Pride Rock," Kiara answered.

"My friends saved you and brought you here. You're very lucky," Simba explained.

"Thank you," murmured the guest.

"So, you got a name?" Kovu asked.

"Yeah, it's—" She stopped, searching her mind for a name, but drawing a blank. "I... I can't remember who I am. I can't remember anything."

"Nothing?" asked Nala.

The lioness shook her head. "I have vague pieces of memories here and there, but nothing distinctive," she said. "I think my name was like... 'Abya'... or something like that."

"Abya it is," Simba said decidedly. "Welcome to Pride Rock."

"You can stay as long as you like," Nala assured her.

Chapter 9

Abya's New Life

For a while, Abya seemed pretty delirious, but after a few days, she became accustom to living life. It didn't take too long before she became curious about her new home.

Abya left the den of Pride Rock, brushing past Kiara, who was receiving the morning report from Zazu. "Where are you off to?" Kiara asked with a smile.

Abya looked up. "Oh, just giving myself a tour," she replied.

"Oh, really? Are you sure you don't want Zazu as a guide?" the queen offered.

"No, I'll be fine," Abya assured her. "I'll see you around, Queen Kiara."

And on that note, Abya walked off by herself. She found her way to a very large gorge with scarce vegetation. It seemed to have been long since abandoned. Abya squinted as she sat on a ledge. She couldn't put her paw on why, but this place seemed significant, perhaps even sacred somehow. Had something important happened here?

Abya's thoughts were broken by an impish laugh from within the gorge. She focused her eyes down to see a young cub dashing through it. "Ha, ha, ha, catch me if you can!" the cub taunted.

He was followed by a meerkat riding a warthog, who Abya identified as Timon and Pumbaa, her rescuers. "Prince Kutcha, please, come back!" Pumbaa implored.

"Get back here, ya little dung beetle!" Timon barked angrilly.

Kutcha paid no heed to the pair. He simply ran and laughed. Abya smiled at the scene. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a herd of wildebeest at the top of the gorge, grazing. She also noticed a group of Prideland lionesses preparing to attack. That was when it occurred to her that if the lionesses attacked, the herd would flee into the gorge, putting Timon, Pumbaa, and Kutcha in the middle of a stampede. "No!" she cried, starting to dash over.

But there was no halting the hunt now. The lionesses laid siege to the herd, bringing several down quickly. The rest fled, stampeding into the gorge, just as Abya had predicted.

Meanwhile, Kutcha grew tired of running and flopped down on a rock. "Okay, I give up," he panted, then noticed Timon and Pumbaa retreating up a rocky ledge. "Hey! Where ya goin'?!"

"Kutcha, run for it!" Pumbaa cried.

"Huh?" Kutcha asked, cocking an eyebrow, then began to feel the ground rumble.

Kutcha looked behind him, and was dwarfed with terror at what he saw. A huge herd of wildebeest was barreling at him at full speed through the gorge. He panicked, ducking to the ground and placing his paws over his face so as not to witness his own imminent demise. The sound of pounding hooves thundered all around the terrified cub. Then, he felt something clasp around his midsection and lift him up.

Opening his eyes, he found himself levitating sideways, racing through the stampede. Kutcha glanced around to find his rescuer. Well, her lower half, anyway, since he could not turn far enough to see her face. Kutcha located the body of a thin, angular, brown-coated lioness with scraped-up legs. The lioness placed Kutcha on the ground, and he looked up to see her kind but stern face, decorated with a pale scar over her left eye. "Abya!" Kutcha cried, nuzzling her legs. "You saved me!"

Abya's expression softened. "It... was nothing," she muttered.

Just then, Kovu ran up. "Kutcha!" he cried.

"Dad!" Kutcha shouted back, galloping over to his father in three leaping motions.

Kovu put a paw around Kutcha and nuzzled his son. "Oh, what a relief. When I saw the dust, I thought you might have been in the stampede!" Kovu gasped.

"But Dad, I _was_ in the stampede!" Kutcha argued.

"What?!" Kovu demanded.

"But Abya saved me," Kutcha explained.

"Is that so?" Kovu asked, turning to Abya. "Thank you. I am in your debt."

"No, really, it was nothing," Abya muttered.

"Nonsense!" Kovu protested. "You stopped a life from being ended. That's never 'nothing'."

"From now on," Kutcha announced, "you're my best friend!"

And this was no exaggeration. Kutcha spent nearly every waking moment at the side of his savior, and Abya became something of a mentor to him. They became closer with the passing of each day.

A few days after the incident in the gorge, Abya lounged at the edge of Pride Rock, staring out onto the horizon. She searched her mind, racking her brain for her lost memories, but continuously drew blanks. What was her real name? Where did she come from? How did she get the scars that covered her body? And who were the owners of the faces she sometimes saw in her dreams? And furthermore—

"Hi, Abya!" cried Kutcha's voice as the troublesome cub pounced on her.

"Why, you puny puff of pre-pubescent fuzz, you scared me!" Abya growled. "I was in very deep thought, you dork!"

"Sorry," he chuckled. "What were you thinkin' about?"

"My past," Abya sighed, dismayed. "I still can't remember anything. I'm starting to think I'll never get my memory back."

Kutcha frowned, and then patted her side with his paw reassuringly. "Don't worry, Abya," he comforted her. "You'll get your memories back. I just know it. All you need is more time."

Abya sighed. "I guess you're right," she agreed. "Now, let's go harass some elephants down at the waterhole, shall we?"

"Yeah!" Kutcha cried excitedly.

And with that, the devious duo ran off down Pride Rock and toward the waterhole. However, the whole way, Abya couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere in the world, someone was looking for her... but who?


	4. Act 4: Bitter Reunion

Where Greatness Lies

Act 4: A Bitter Reunion

Chapter 10

Birds of a Feather

Zazu soared over the Pridelands, looking for issues of interest to report to the king and queen. "Zazu!" called a voice that he hadn't heard in a long time.

Zazu turned to see a female hornbill with pale orange feathers. "Gio!" he cried, landing.

Gio followed, and the birds embraced. "Oh, heavens, it's been ages!" Zazu sighed. "You look exactly the same."

"As do you," Gio agreed, adding: "Same old boring Zazu."

Zazu scoffed, not amused, which made Gio giggle. "Well, I suppose you've come for a reason," Zazu said, changing the subject.

"But of course," Gio replied. "First of all, updates on your condition. The Pridelands seem to be thriving more than ever, as it were."

"Indeed," Zazu agreed with a nod. "We flourish more with each new day since the reign of the Mad King ended."

"Then it seems you've long since rid yourselves of said king," Gio mused. "Wasn't his name Simba or something like that?"

"Heavens, no!" Zazu gasped, shocked by the mere notion of it. "Simba was the one to overthrow the Mad King. The lion you're thinking of was named Scar."

Gio hesitated. "I... I beg your pardon?"

"You're thinking of Mad King Scar," Zazu repeated himself.

Gio furrowed her brow. "He's a scrawny, boney fellow with a brown coat, a black mane, and a scar over his left eye, correct?"

"That's the one. Why do you ask...?" Zazu inquired suspiciously.

"Let's just say... we've met," Gio replied, wincing.

"Well, no need to trouble yourself. He died a long time ago," Zazu assured her.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," Gio warned. "My second order of business here is looking for the lost daughter of the Greatlands, Queen Roya... and King Scar."

Zazu's beak dropped. "You can't be serious," he groaned.

"Sorry," Gio sighed.

"Simba must hear of this immediately," Zazu decided, and both birds flew off toward Pride Rock.

Chapter 11

Baya Returns

"What?!" Simba demanded.

"It's all true, sir," Gio sighed.

"He was rescued?! How could Scar have been _rescued_?!" Simba ranted, pacing. "And now, he has a _daughter_, of all things!"

"As hard as you may find it to believe me, he really has been a fairly decent king. Sure, he's moody and a little lazy, but his queen keeps him in line. He's very fair," Gio explained.

"Puh! Scar is fair? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Simba growled.

"However, the information about his past that he gave us upon coming to us is different from what you tell us," Gio continued. "But be that as it may, he _is_ my king, and as his majordomo, I feel that it is my duty to search for the princess."

"I think we should help," Kiara said.

"Kiara..." Kovu started.

"I don't want to hear it," Kiara interrupted him. "Besides, we wouldn't be doing it for Scar, anyway. I think we should help for the mother's sake. How would you feel if Kutcha suddenly went missing?"

"She has a point," Nala agreed.

"We're back!" Kutcha cried as he strolled in, currently teenage.

Now almost an adult, Abya followed promptly after. "It looked like rain, so we came home earlier than usual," she explained, then looked around. "What's going on? Who's the orange bird?"

Gio hopped over to Abya, wide-eyed. "My dear, how can you not remember me?" she asked.

"W-what...?" Abya stammered, confused.

"Abya, this is Zazu's friend, Gio," Kovu told her.

"Where do I know that name from?" Abya mused.

"Abya?" Gio asked. "That explains it. You must've lost your memory."

"Yes, I did, a very long time ago," Abya replied. "How did you know that?"

"Because I knew you before that," Gio explained. "I've known you since you were just a cub. Your real name is Baya, princess of the Greatlands and– "

"Daughter of Scar and Roya," Abya finished. "I remember now! It's all coming back to me."

"Really?" Kutcha asked. "That's great! I guess all you needed was a clue to jumpstart your memory!"

"Yes!" Abya (or rather, Baya) cried. "I got here when I was attacked by hyenas. There were three of them. Papa had sent me to…" She stopped abruptly, and then scowled. "Papa…"

"What is it?" Kiara asked.

"Oh, no…" Gio groaned. "She's still angry."

"Kutcha, come with me," Baya commanded.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Just come _on!_" Baya barked.

Kutcha jumped. "Coming!" he yelped, scrambling out of the den behind Baya.

The two darted out across the plains. "Where are they going?!" Kovu demanded. "Where is she taking my son?!"

"To the Greatlands! Hurry, we must follow them!" Gio cried urgently.

"Zazu, I want you to stay here. I need you to manage things while I'm gone," Kovu instructed.

"Y-yes, sire," Zazu complied, a little overwhelmed.

And so, with Gio flying overhead, Kovu, Kiara, Simba, and Nala followed after the underage prince and his scarred companion as rain poured from the clouds above.

Chapter 12

Invasion

"Uh, Abya…" Kutcha called.

"It's Baya now," she corrected him.

"Baya," Kutcha rephrased. "Do you mind telling me where we're going?"

"We're going to the Greatlands," Baya told him. "It's my homeland. My father, the king, named my cousin his heir instead of me."

"That's not fair," Kutcha protested.

"No, it isn't fair. That's why we're going to overthrow my father," Baya explained.

"We're going to do what?!" Kutcha demanded. "I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Of course it is. Come on, Kutcha, work with me," Baya urged. "Look, there's Great Peak. That's essentially Pride Rock."

The pair of lions ran over to the peak, dashing behind it. "Now," Baya sighed, "we need to strategize this before we go in."

"Uh… but…" Kutcha started.

"Be quiet for a minute. I need to think," Baya hushed him.

A figure crept out slightly from behind a rock wall, eavesdropping. "But, Abya…" Kutcha urged.

"We'll creep into the throne cave, and we'll each go one way…"

"Abya…"

"…that way, we can hit him from both sides…"

"Abya?"

"… and from there, we can chase him out of Great Peak!"

"Abya, would you listen to me for a second?!" Kutcha shouted.

"How many times do I have to tell you my name is Baya?!" she snapped. "Now what do you want?!"

"What about the rest of your pride? Don't they like your king?" Kutcha asked. "I kind of doubt we can do this by ourselves."

Baya paused, realizing the gravity of overthrowing Scar. "You're right, Kutcha. A coup detat isn't exactly a task for two, but how can we possibly improve our numbers?" she mused.

The eavesdropper decided this was an opportune moment to make his presence known and stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to be a young male hyena. "Excuse me," he called, "but are you planning to rebel against King Scar?"

Baya bore her teeth. "Hyena," she hissed.

The hyena backed up. "Wait!" he cried. "I mean you no harm. My pack was betrayed by Scar and we're after revenge, but we can't do anything without a good leader."

"Why should I trust your kind?" Baya interrogated him. "You don't think I got these scars from a field mouse, do you?"

The hyena's nose wrinkled. "I was only a pup, but I know about the attack. My parents did that because you're Scar's daughter. We figured you were on his side, but I can fix that," he explained. "Our pack will serve you unquestioningly if you promise us revenge on Scar."

Baya shot Kutcha a questioning glance, but he shrugged indifferently. Baya looked him over. "So a bunch of hyenas want to team up with a pair of lions in order to get back at my father over an old grudge?" she asked.

"My name is Mordecai," he replied, bowing. "I am at your service."

Baya smirked. "Why don't you introduce us to this pack of yours?" she suggested.

Mordecai grinned devilishly. "Follow me."

The hyena led the two lions further behind Great Peak, where shadows cloaked a gargantuan horde of hyenas, every one in his or her prime. "May I have your attention please?" Mordecai called out. "My friends, I know that your faith in lions is pretty much shot, but only Scar is evil enough to turn his own daughter against him with his atrocities. And it is that very lioness and her associate that have agreed to lead us to our revenge."

The pack cheered uproariously in a vicious, bloodthirsty war cry. Baya grinned wickedly as Mordecai talked quietly with a few other hyenas off to the side. The group approached Baya and Kutcha, consisting of six hyenas in total, including Mordecai. "Everyone, this is Baya, and…" Mordecai hesitated.

"Kutcha, the prince of the Pridelands and my longtime protégé of mine," Baya answered.

Mordecai nodded. "Baya, Kutcha, these two are my brother and sister, named Slice and Prima, respectively," he told them, gesturing to a pair of hyenas of similar age to himself, then gesturing to the trio of somewhat older hyenas, continued; "These are my parents, Shenzi and Banzai, and my godfather, Ed."

"Good, good," Baya purred. "Mordecai, you will be my right-hand man. Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed will be Kutcha's bodyguards. Prima and Slice will be captains. Prima, you're captain of the guard, and Slice, of the hunt. I'll set everything in place, and when I give the signal, you and Kutcha will lay siege to Great Peak and capture it. Our assault begins… now."

Meanwhile, within the den, Scar paced impatiently, growling in frustration. "Honey…" Roya urged.

"I know what you're going to say, love, but it won't help," Scar sighed. "I can't help that I'm apprehensive."

Roya nuzzled him consolingly. "It's been a long time since we've seen her, and I'm just as worried as you are, sweetie, but pacing a hole into the ground won't do you any good," Roya coaxed.

Scar grumbled uneasily and flopped onto the ground, where Roya joined him. Taka, a strong teenage lioness frowned. Where the heck was everyone? Her father, her mother, Gio, and a friend of her father's named Vamsi had all been looking for Baya for several hours, and the rain was pouring down. It unnerved her to see her normally steel-willed uncle struggling just to stay composed. Looking out the doorway to the den, Taka silently willed Baya home.

Just then, her train of thought was broken as Gonjwa raced in at full speed, nearly running into her. "Scar!" he gasped, drenched.

Scar must've leapt five feet into the air. "What?! What is it?!"

A scar-ridden lioness with a lean, elegant frame and sharp, emerald eyed strode in and stood beside Gonjwa. She flashed a frosty smile. "Mother, Father, I'm home."

"Baya!" they both shouted, and ran to her.

Baya stood still and cold as stone while her parents fretted over her, indifferent to them. Taka approached with a welcoming smile, but Baya just stared back at her with chilling apathy. "Roya, shouldn't we go find the others and tell them Baya's home?" Taka offered.

"Oh, that's right!" Roya exclaimed. "Let's go."

Taka and Roya bounded out of the den and headed northeast to look for Gio, not noticing Kutcha and a band of hyenas creeping around toward the den just out of their view. After they'd gone, Kutcha peered inside the den and waved the hyenas in closer to him. The small battalion clustered in behind him as they awaited the signal from Baya.

"Father," Baya said, catching a glimpse of them, "I just thought I'd let you know that I brought a few friends with me. I think you'll recognize them."

"Oh, really?" Scar asked warily. "Well, where are they?"

Baya leaned into Kutcha's view and waved him in. Kutcha hung back while the hyenas went ahead, Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed in the lead. As they skulked in, Scar turned to see them, and his jaw dropped. "How…?"

"Well, well, well, if it ain't our old buddy, Scar," Banzai snickered.

"We're a little surprised to see you," Shenzi continued, "alive."

"Scar, who are these guys?!" Gonjwa demanded.

"I'd say it's time you stepped down, old man," Baya cackled darkly.


End file.
